On Oct. 25, the Umatilla County Sheriff’s Office, assisted by the Milton-Freewater Police Department, evicted an encampment of unhoused people along the Walla Walla River in Milton-Freewater, Oregon. Deputies cleared the area from Cemetary Road Bridge to north of Eastside Bridge. In early October, sherriffs visited the encampment to give the unhoused residents a notice to remove their belongings and leave the area. By the time of the eviction, all but three residents remained at the encampment. One individual, who had previously been arrested and charged at the same encampment, was arrested. This individual is facing charges of trespassing and depositing trash within 100 yards of water.
The eviction comes after several complaints to the Umatilla County Commissioner from private landowners, largely regarding trash, drug paraphernalia and pollution to the Walla Walla River. In late September, Umatilla County Commissioner Cindy Thomas, the CTUIR, the City of Milton-Freewater Department of State Lands and the Sheriff’s Office held an event to discuss the encampment and local property owners’ concerns.
Lieutenant Josh Roberts of the Umatilla County Sheriff’s Office says that the Sheriff’s Office encounters an encampment every few years and largely intervenes due to local complaints. While Roberts was unaware of where the residents of the encampment moved themselves or their belongings after the eviction, he acknowledges that the community lacks an adequate number of resources for unhoused individuals.
“That was one thing that we talked about at our town hall meeting, and I know the commissioners are aware of that … That is something that’s lacking up in the Milton Freewater area, is shelter,” Roberts said.
In the local area, organizations including the Walla Walla Alliance for the Homeless, the Christian Aid Center, the YWCA, the Blue Mountain Action Council (BMAC) and the Community Action Program of East Central Oregon (CAPECO) advocate and provide resources for members of the unhoused community.
Claudia Limon, the program director overseeing both the housing and homeless services and the weatherization services at CAPECO, says CAPECO representatives were unable to be at the encampment during the eviction on Oct. 25. However, Limon and her colleagues at CAPECO provided information on CAPECO and its services to law enforcement to pass along to encampment residents. She says that while the overwhelming majority of encampment residents do not reach out to CAPECO and similar organizations following encampment evictions, individuals who are interested in housing services are not adequately supported.
“What’s frustrating to me is the lack of places for these folks to access if they chose to … Where are people expecting those folks to go? And that’s hard, because we don’t have those systems in place for easy access across our counties,” Limon said.
The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development reports that Oregon and Washington have disproportionately high homeless populations. Furthermore, the homeless population nationwide has reached record high numbers. The Washington State Point in Time (PIT) report, an annual count of people experiencing homelessness, reports that in 2023, there were 183 people experiencing homelessness in Walla Walla County. In 2024, that number increased to 218. The Oregon state PIT report found that in 2023, there were 397 individuals experiencing homelessness in Umatilla County. The report additionally found that for these 397 individuals, Umatilla County had 238 shelter beds, creating a deficit of 159 beds. Importantly, the PIT is likely an undercount of the amount of individuals experiencing homelessness in these areas.
These increased homeless populations are largely due to reduced services following the COVID-19 pandemic, lack of affordable housing, higher costs of living and higher housing costs. Homelessness prevention organizations have faced decreased funding following the COVID-19 pandemic, while the need for housing services has increased. Local organization Blue Mountain Action Council had funding slashed for their program offering eviction prevention through rental assistance, utility assistance and other assistance.
Jordan Green, the executive director of the Walla Walla Alliance for the Homeless, echoes concerns about the deficit in services compared to the number of unsheltered individuals in the area. However, he praises the existing services and says Walla Walla does not see encampments similar to the encampment in Milton-Freewater.
“We really have a really diverse network of support, and I think that Walla Walla is really lucky in that way. Even that said, obviously the need still outstrips the services available … There are certain gaps in the services … I think there’s a good awareness around that, and a lot of stuff happening to try to close those gaps and support this community,” Green said.
